Nonlinear combining of multiple laser beams in Kerr medium

TL;DR

This paper explores a method to combine multiple laser beams into a single high-quality beam using nonlinear self-focusing in a Kerr medium, analyzing how beam quality depends on the number of beams and phase fluctuations.

Contribution

It introduces a nonlinear beam combining technique via Kerr-induced self-focusing, demonstrating near diffraction-limited output from multiple beams.

Findings

Successful beam combination into near diffraction-limited beam

Beam quality depends on number of beams and phase fluctuations

Critical power is carried by the combined beam

Abstract

We consider combining of multiple laser beams into a single near diffraction-limited beam by beam self-focusing (collapse) in a Kerr medium. The beams with the total power above critical are combined in the near field and then propagated in the Kerr medium. Nonlinearity results in self-focusing event, combining multiple beams into nearly a diffraction-limited beam that carries the critical power. Beam quality of the combined beam is analyzed as a function of the number of combining beams and the level of random fluctuations of the combining beams phases.